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Carlisle man jailed for £284,000 VAT and benefit fraud

A Carlisle man who committed a £284,000 VAT and benefit fraud has been jailed for four-and-a-half years.

Keiran Farrer filed 34 monthly VAT returns in which he claimed to have paid invoices for £2 million worth of supplies.

Farrer, 39, had registered a vehicle hire and leasing company - but this was said to have "barely traded".

He reclaimed £260,000 from the taxman and was paid £243,000. But a probe revealed that his returns were bogus.

Carlisle Crown Court also heard Farrer made false statements to the Department for Work and Pensions which allowed him to rake in disability living allowance totalling £41,000.

He claimed to suffer from "severe" mental health and mobility difficulties which meant he regularly needed to use a wheelchair and also specialist transport.

But investigators' video footage showed him walking unaided on several occasions, and pushing a supermarket trolley.

The court heard the fraudster splashed out more than £50,000 of his ill-gotten tax return cash on flying lessons, and was said to have lived a "lavish lifestyle" comprising "expensive holidays for the family".